Dispensing container



Oct. 24, 1950 F. s. ELSAESSER DISPENSING CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 13, 1947 1 N V EN TOR. EMA 1f 31725141 35212 F. s. ELSAESSERDISPENSING CONTAINER Oct. 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15, 1947INVENTOR. v fkmkjfiwsaz Qf/ m Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNl'iED STATESPATENT @FEECE Claims.

This invention relates to a dispensing container for use in restaurantsand the like for holding silverware for distribution to customers.

One of the problems in restaurants and other eating establishments isthe handling of silverware, knives, forks and spoons, both prior to thedistributions thereof to customers and after they have been used and areto be returned to the kitchen for cleaning. In the interest ofsanitation it is desirable that the silverware be not handled aftercleaning before the use thereof by the customers and particularly thatthe parts of said silverware beyond the handles be not touched.

Another difficulty is that of handling the silverware between the diningroom and kitchen as well as the handling of the said silverware duringthe actual cleaning thereof, all of which is labor and time consumingand therefore an expensive operation in conducting a restaurant and thelike. The dispensing container of the present invention overcomes orminimizes the foregoing objections.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention toprovide a dispensing container or receptacle for silverware for use in arestaurant or the like in which used silverware may be placed forcleaning purposes and said silverware subsequently dispensed to theindividual user.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a containerto accomplish the foregoing object that can be arranged to preventinadvertent displacement of the silverware and subsequently arranged topermit ready removal of the silverware.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a dispensing containerfor silverware that when open arranges the silverware to preventdisplacement from the container while when closed prevents the removalof the silverware from the container and at the same time may beutilized in the usual dishwashing machine so that the said silverware iscleaned while within the container and said silverware can be dispensedfrom the said container without being handled except by the dispenser tothe customer.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readilyapparent by reference to the following specification considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and itis to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exactstructural details there shown and described, within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of theinvention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing container or receptacle ofthe present invention showing same closed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the container of Fig. 1 showin same opento permit removal of the content.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the open container of Fig. 2 as seen fromthe open end thereof or the left hand end of said Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through the open end of thecontainer as seen from line 4-4 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View through the closed container asseen from line 5-4: on Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the closed endof the container as seen from line 66 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the top andadjacent side of the container illustrating particularly the latch forlooking the cover in closed position and seen from line l! on Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig.7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation,illustrating particularly the handle whereby the container may betransported or carried.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a container showing a modificationtherein to the extent that the. container may be partitioned if desired.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar referencecharacters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

To accomplish the objects set forth above use is made of a box it! of alength in excess of the longest piece of silverware to be placed thereinwhich is generally the knife with said box com prising a bottom ll andupstanding sides l2 and I3. The sides It! and it may be integral withthe bottom and merely upwardly bent therefrom as may'one end It fromsaid bottom. In other 1 words the box IQ comprises a bottom ll twolongitudinal sides i2 and I3 and an end it each integral with oneanother or formed from the same blank. The vertical edges of the end [4are secured in any suitable or desirable manner to the adjacent verticaledges of the sides 22 and I3, which, for convenience, is shown in thedrawings as a weld l5 extending the full length of said height of theend wall and side wall edges, This construction results in the boxhaving an open top and an open end which will be referred to as 3 thefront end of the box while the end l4 will be referred to as the closedend of the box.

The end edge of the box bottom I at the front end thereof is illustratedas turned on itself at intervals to provide hinge eyes If; thatcooperate with aligned alternate hinge eyes H at the lower end of a boxfront l8. In other words the box H] is adapted to have its open endclosed by a hinged front |8. The vertical and upper edges of the frontl8 are each provided, respectively, with a flange I9, and 2| whereby thebox sides l2 and I3 are respectively embraced by the vertical flanges l9and 20 with said horizontal flange 2|, at the upper end of said frontl8, overlying the bottom between said box sides.

Extending through the aligned front hinge eyes |6 and box bottom hingeeyes I1 is a hinge pin 22 whereby said front l8 may be swung from anopen to a closed position as will later be made clear.

The upper end of the box side l3 is likewise turned on itself to providespaced hinge eyes 23 adapted to be aligned with alternate hinge eyes 24on a cover or lid 25. Extending through said aligned hinge eyes 23 and24 is a hinge pin 26 to permit swinging movement of the cover or lid 25.The end edges of the cover or lid are downwardly bent to provide flanges21 and 2B and the longitudinal edge of the cover or lid 25, op-

posite the hinge lugs 24, is similarly downwardly bent to provide aflange 29. The cover end flanges 21 and 28 are adapted to embrace thebox ends l4 and IS with said flange 28 engaging and holding the movablefront IS in a closed position.

The lid or cover 25 is adapted to be locked in 1 its closed position forwhich purpose a latch mechanism, indicated in its entirety by thereference numeral 30, is provided. The latch mechanism 30 may take anysuitable or desirable form such, for example, as illustrated in thedrawings and comprising a latch pin 3| having its one end outwardlybent, as at 32, to provide a handle for operating same. The latch pin 3|is slidable through suitable guides 33 integral with and upstanding froma latch base 34. The other end of the latch pin 3| is adapted to beinserted through a suitable aperture 35 formed in a latch lug 36integral with and upstanding from the box side |2. In order toaccommodate the box latch lug 36 the cover or lid 25 is provided with anelongated aperture 31 through which projects the latch lug 36 to haveits aperture above the cover or lid 25. The latch pin 3| is adapted tobe retained in its latched and unlatched positions for which purpose thelatch base 34 provides looking lugs 38 and 39 that cooperate with an ear40 on the latch pin.

In order to carry the container when closed and for transportation, forexample between the kitchen and dining room, there is provided acarrying handle 4| comprising the handle proper 42 and end attachingarms 43 and 44. Any suitable or desirable means may be employed forsecuring the handle to the box bottom H such,

as for example, screws 45 and 46. As will later be made clear the handle4| serves an additional purpose that'of assisting in positioning the boxready for disbursement therefrom and for this purpose the handle 4| islocated adjacent the open front end of the box.

The operation of the dispensing container of the present invention is asfollows:

Assuming that the container, in the condition as.illustrated in Fig. 1,has just been returned from the kitchen to the dining room and isthere.-

fore filled with clean silverware, the container upon reaching thewaiters supply station has the latch pin 3| actuated to unlock the lidor cover 25. The said lid or cover is then opened or actuated from itsclosed position in Fig. 1 to its open position in Figs. 2 and 3 at whichtime the outer surface of the lid or cover 25 is in substantial contactwith the outer surface of the box side I3. The actuation of the cover orlid 25 to this position released the box or container front |8 so thatit may now be swung on its hinge pin 22 to open said front end of thebox or container. The said front I8 is moved to the position illustratedin Figs. 2 and 3 which is slightly inclined beneath the box or containerbottom I I. It is at this point that the second purpose of the handle 4|comes into play since it engages the outer surface of said movable boxfront I'B for retaining it in the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3whereby the open front end of the box or container is elevated above itssupport. By this construction the waiter can readily reach thesilverware in the box or container and can readily see the silverwaretherein.

After the box or container has been exhausted of its silverware it isused by the waiter for receiving the dirty silverware after it has beenused by the restaurant customers. The waiter places the dirty silverwarein the box or container with the handlles of the knives, forks andspoons toward the open end thereof. Upon filling the said box orcontainer the front H3 is first closed whereupon the lid or cover 25 isclosed for looking the front in its closed position and then the latchpin 3| is actuated to lock the lid or cover in the closed position. Thebox or container with its used or dirty silverware is now sent to thekitchen.

The box with its silverware is now placed in a soaking tank, passedthrough a dishwashing machine and subsequently rinsed. In order that thesilverware within the container may be properly treated for cleaning thebox bottom and sides are each profusely perforated as indicated at 41.The box movable end I8 and cover or lid 25 are similarly profuselyperforated. By this construction the soaking solution has ready accessto the silverware as has the usual cleaning Sprays of the dishwashingmachine so that the silverware within the box or container is completelyand thoroughly cleaned without removal therefrom. Since the movable endl8 and cover or lid 25 are securely locked in position the silverware isnot lost or discharged from the box or container whether the box is seton one of its longitudinal sides, top, bottom or one of its ends andthis positioning of the box will be dictated by the particulardishwashing machine being used so that the maximum amount of surface ofthe silverware is presented to the cleaning sprays. In particularinstances only selected ones of the box or container top, bottom, sidesor ends may be perforated depending on the positioning of the sprayswhether from the top and bottom or the sides of the dishwashing machine.

It has been found that if the silverware is thoroughly rinsed aftercleaning and this rinsing is effected by hot water or other liquidmedium the silverware may be allowed to dry within the container andwhich drying is effected in a very short time. The container is thenreturned to the dining room and set up at the waiters supply station asabove described.

In restaurants silverware for each customer is generally used in setsconsisting of a knife, 2.

l l l fork, a teaspoon, and a tablespoon with some times two or more ofsaid pieces constituting the set. The waiter upon gathering up thesilverware after use by the customers placed said silverware, in sets,in the box or container so that the said sets are practically completewhen returned from the kitchen. Furthermore by placing the saidsilverware in the box or container with the handles thereof at the openend of the box or container the waiter need'touch no portion of saidsilverware except said handles wherefore the silverware is touched byno" one, except the handles thereof, between the cleaning of saidsilverware and use by the customer. The silverware being in sets in theboxor container eliminates the need, as was ,prior practice, of having aplurality of pans each containin the separate silverware items andrequiring the waiter to pick a piece from a plurality of containers.

If desired the box or container may be provided with one or morepartitions such as illustrated in Fig. and indicated 'by the referencenumeral 48. Said partitions would be secured in any suitable ordesirable manner either by welding, as the sides and closed end of thebox are secured to one another, or, by suitable brackets 39. By thisconstruction different pieces of the silverware may be separated fromone another such for example as knives and forks in one compartment,teaspoons and tablespoons in another compartment or separatecompartments for the knives, forks, teaspoons and tablespoons may beprovided. I

The foregoing description has been of a box or container having amovable end as well as a movable lid or cover, it is conceivable howeverthat the box or container may have two fixed ends and sides with only amovable and releasably securable lid or cover with each of the box sidesand bottom and the lid or cover profusely or selectively perforated asillustrated in the drawings and obtain the same results as from thepreferred construction above described.

From the foregoing it is believed now evident that there has beenprovided a dispensing container for accomplishing the objects initiallyset forth.

What is claimed is:

1. In a container for silverware and the like for holding saidsilverware while being cleaned and from which the cleaned silverware isdispensed comprisin a bottom, permanently positioned side wallsupstanding from two opposed sides of said bottom, a permanentlypositioned back wall upstanding from one end of said bottom between saidside walls, a front wall hingedly connectedto the other end of saidbottom, said front wall being swingable to a position upstanding fromsaid bottom to be across said walls, a, cover hingedly connected to theupper end of one of said permanently positioned walls arranged whenclosed to lock the front wall in its upstanding position, certain ofsaid bottom,

side walls, front, and back walls, and cover being provided withperforations to afford cleaning fluid to enter the container, means forlocking the cover in its closed position, said front wall, when thecover is open, being adapted to be swung to a position to depend belowthe bottom and slightly inwardly of the end of the bottom, and anabutment downwardly projectin from the bottom inwardly of the endthereof to which the front is hingedly connected for engagement by saidfront to position same below the bottom Cal 6 and inwardly inclined withrespect thereto for supporting the container with its'bottom upwardlyinclined to afford easy access to the interior of. the container.

2. In a container for silverware and the like for holding saidsilverware. while being cleaned and from which the cleaned silverware isdispensed comprising a bottom, permanently positioned side wallsupstanding from two opposed sides of said bottom, a permanentlypositioned back wall'upstanding from one end of said bottom between saidside walls, a front wall hingedly connected to the other end of saidbottom, said front wall being swingable to a position upstanding fromsaid bottom to be across said side walls, a cover hingedly connected tothe upper end of one of said permanently positioned walls arranged whenclosed to lock the front wall in its upstandin position, certain of saidbottom, side walls, front and back walls and cover being provided withperforations to afford cleaning fiuid to enter the container, means forlocking the cover in its closed'position, said front wall, when thecover is open, being adapted to be swung to a .position to depend belowthe bottom and slightly inwardly of the end of the bottom, and aU-shaped handle comprising a handle portion and arms which have theirfree ends secured to the bottom to downwardly project from the bottominwardly of the end thereof to which the front is hingedly connected forengagement by said front to position same below the bottom and inwardlyinclined with respect thereto for supporting the container with itsbottom upwardly inclined to afiord easy access to the interior of thecontainer. .1

3. In a container for silverware and the like for holding saidsilverware while being cleaned and from which the cleaned silverware isdispensed comprising a" bottom, permanently positioned side wallsupstanding from two opposed sides of said bottom, a. permanentlypositioned back wall upstanding from one end of said bottorn betweensaid side walls, a front wall hingedly connected to the other end ofsaid bottom, said front wall being swingable to a position upstandingfrom said bottom across said side walls, a cover hingedly connected tothe upper end of one of said permanently positioned walls arranged whenclosed to lock the front wall in its upstanding position, certain ofsaid bottom, side walls, front and back walls, and cover being providedwith perforations to afford cleaning fluid to enter the container, meansfor locking the cover in its closed position, comprising an axiallyshifta ble latch pin carried by the cover, and an apertured latching lugreceiving the shiftable latch pin and upstanding from one of thepermanently positioned walls other than the one to which said cover ishingedly connected, said front wall, when the cover is open, beingadapted to be swlung to a position to depend below the bottom andslightly inwardly of the end of the bottom, and an abutment downwardlyprojecting from the bottom inwardly of the end thereof to which thefront is hingedly connected for engagement by said front to positionsame below the bottom and inwardly inclined with respect thereto forsupporting the container with its bottom upwardly inclined to affordeasy access to the interior of the container.

4. In a container for silverware and the like for holding saidsilverware while being cleaned and from which the cleaned silverware isdispensed comprising a bottom, permanently positionedsi'de wallsupstanding from two opposed sides of said bottom, a permanentlypositioned back wall upstanding from one end of said bottom between saidside walls, a partition between the side walls and upstanding from thebottom, a front wall hingedly connected to the other end of said bottom,said front wall being swingable to a position upstanding from saidbottom to be across said side walls, a cover hingedly connected to theupper end of one of said .permanently positioned walls arranged whenclosed to lock the front wall in its upstanding position, certain ofsaid bottom, side walls, partition, front and back walls and cover beingprovided with perforations to afford cleaning fluid to enter thecontainer, means for locking the cover in its closed position, saidfront wall, when the cover is open, being adapted to be swung to aposition to depend below the bottom and slightly inwardly of the end ofthe bottom, and an abutment downwardly projecting from the bottominwardly of the end thereof to which the front is hingedly connected forengagement by said front to position same below the bottom and inwardlyinclined with respect thereto for supporting the container with itsbottom upwardly inclined to afford easy access to the interior of thecontainer.

5. In a container for silverware and the like for holding saidsilverware while being cleaned and from which the cleaned silverware isdispensed comprising a bottom, permanently positioned side wallsupstanding from two closed sides of said bottom, a, permanentlypositioned back wall upstanding from one end of said bottom between saidside walls, a front wall hingedly connected to the other end of saidbottom,

said front wall being swingable to a position upstanding from saidbottom to be across said side walls, a cover hingedly connected to theupper end of one of said permanently positioned walls arranged whenclosed to lock the front wall in its upstanding position, certain ofsaid bottom, side walls, front and back walls and cover being providedwith perforations to afford cleaning fluid to enter the container, meansfor locking the cover in its closed position, said front wall, when thecover is open, being adapted to be swung to a position to depend belowthe bottom and slightly inwardly of the end of the bottom, and aU-shaped handle comprising a handle portion and arms which have theirfree end secured to one of said bottom and front to project therefromand adapted to engage the other of said front and bottom to position thefront below the bottom and inwardly inclined with respect thereto forsupporting the container with its bottom upwardly inclined to affordeasy access to the interior of the container.

FRANK S. ELSAESSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 362,948 Galbreth May 17, 1887476,150 Knight May 31, 1892 489,711 Mandioni Jan. 10, 1893 645,344 WhiteMar. 13, 1900 1,003,583 Burgess Sept. 19, 1911 1,477,930 BartholomewDec. 18, 1923 1,582,655 Anderegg Apr. 27, 1926

